The Board of Zoning Appeals voted to grant a variance allowing a single-family house at 1328 West Huntington after the applicant, Weston Wagner, said the city stopped his project a month after he began work.

Wagner told the board he paid for a building permit in July 2024, started construction and completed footings and block work before the city issued a stop-work order in August. "I paid for a permit in July of 2024. Started construction, and a month later, I got shut down by the city of Jonesboro," Wagner said. He said he has waited six to seven months since the shutdown and asked the board to reconsider so he could finish the house.

The matter drew several neighbors. Nate Lipsky, who said he owns the adjoining property and is a licensed real estate agent, told the board he did not object to Wagner's plan. "I have no objection to what he's doing at all," Lipsky said. Dan Passmore, a property owner who described Wagner as a landlord who improves neighborhoods, said building a single-family house instead of multi-family units was an upgrade for the area.

City staff member Monica told the board that a reviewer likely misinterpreted the overlay boundary that divides Huntington and approved the permit in error. "More than likely, it was just a mistake on our part," she said. Wagner told the board he had meetings with the mayor's office and staff (including Tony Thomas and Michael Morris) and exchanged emails detailing costs and communications after the stop-work order; he said the city offered to work with him but no resolution was produced.

A BZA member moved to grant the variance, saying the applicant had waited six months after the board's prior denial and the city had not worked out a solution. The motion was seconded. In a roll call, Member Miles, Member Bailey, Member Naples and Member Maples voted yes and the variance was approved.

Wagner told the board he had paid $707.25 for the permit and that footings and block work were already in place when the stop-work order was issued. He also said he holds a loan on the property and has been paying interest since closing. Neighbors and speakers argued the single-family house would better fit the block than multifamily development and urged the board to allow Wagner to continue his project.

The board granted the variance; the transcript does not record additional conditions attached to the approval or subsequent administrative steps required by the city. The applicant thanked members after the vote.